Chapter 31

"She's beautiful…" Murmured Shadowstar mewed, looking down at his only daughter.

"She has fur like her father." Purred June, licking her daughter's head

The all black kit frowned and shook her mother away with a paw. Shadowstar smiled and sniffed at his daughter's pelt, she smelled exactly like June. His daughter play growled and crouched down to claw at the air with her tiny paws.

"Acts just like you though." Purred Shadowstar, June smiled and tucked her kit close to her stomach.

"I thought you were dead… where did you go?" She whispered.

"I never wanted to leave you, June." Purred Shadowstar, pressing his muzzle to June's "I had to do what was best…for my clan."

"You went back?" She questioned with a frown. "Why…they hated you."

"And they still do…but it was a sign from StarClan that brought me back." Shadowstar mewed. "They needed me to lead the clan…"

"So…you are leader?" June meowed.

"Yeah…I am." Shadowstar mewed "But I don't want to be…I want to stay with you and our daughter."

June smiled and licked Shadowstar's cheek. "When will you come find me?"

"Right now works for me." Shadowstar whispered. June smiled as her pelt began to fade. The world around Shadowstar shivered and disappeared until it was all black.

Shadowstar blinked open his eyes and looked around him. He was all alone expecting for the memory of June that still lingered in his mind. Shadowstar knew that he had just walked in the dreams of June…he had done it a couple of times with the help of Whistleleaf.

He had narrowly escaped the path of the monster the day before…if he had died, he wasn't sure if StarClan would give him his other lives. The black tom stood and shook his fur, trying to find the scent of his mate.

Where are you June? He thought to himself as he sniffed the air.

"So…the legendary Shadowstar wants to leave?" An old familiar voice sounded from behind him. Shadowstar turned to see Scar smirking behind him, his scars trailing down his face.

"Yeah…who cares?" Snarled Shadowstar

"What about you're precious StarClan?" Scar hissed

"Cut the dung, flea-pelt!" Shadowstar snarled. "What do you want?"

"Don't act so tough…you couldn't even kick me out of your own body." Snickered Scar

Shadowstar had his fair share of his father's taunting jabs. The black cat lunged at Scar without warning, shoving his father into an oak tree with bared fangs. Scar grunted as his back slammed into the tree, his claws unsheathed.

Shadowstar didn't wait for his father to get up; he jumped onto Scar's back and sunk his teeth into Scar's ear, reaching over to claw at his eyes. The dark gray tom hissed in pain and jumped backwards, slamming Shadowstar under his body weight.

Shadowstar, being faster than his father, struck out and grabbed Scar's neck in his jaws. The long-haired tom gurgled in pain and tried to pry his son from his neck, but Shadowstar bit down harder. Scar's eyes lolled backwards, but a lingering voice echoed in his mind.

Let him go… It whispered. Don't be the killer everyone thinks you are…

Shadowstar snatched his teeth from Scar's throat and watched as the bigger tom gasped for breath. Blood spilled onto the forest floor and onto Scar's paws. The dark gray tom looked up at his son with fury in his blue eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that!" He hissed, his body dissolving into thin air. Shadowstar shook with fear…he knew Scar would get revenge in some way. His revenge could be for June…and Shadowstar's daughter.

I've got to find June!